This is difficult to imagine, but it happened to the Central African Republic (CAR) where P.A.S. HOPFAN is based.

On March 24, the rebel coalition named Seleka (“alliance” or “union” in Sango, the Central African national language) entered Bangui, the capital of CAR and captured the city. The rebels toppled the President, François Bozizé, on the grounds that he had failed to honour the terms of the peace agreement that was signed in Libreville, Gabon, in January 2012 after a first rebel offensive. The then President reportedly fled to neighboring Cameroon.

While a few people in CAR welcomed Seleka’s armed men as they entered Bangui, most began to mourn as they saw the situation change negatively. Armed men from Seleka entered private/state properties and companies and looted them, taking away whatever they could. Other people among the population followed suit with no qualms. Cars, motorbikes, TV, fridges, drugs, spare parts, you name it. They took away everything. Witnesses saw other men from Seleka enter houses after houses to help themselves and leave the owners desperate and traumatized. As of March 30, the looting continued in Bangui and a house was even looted 5 times. A young woman was reportedly raped by an armed man from Seleka in the city of Bouar.

Churches and homes of Pastors were also looted, as well as some United Nations agencies operating in the country, such as UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund).

According to UNICEF, 2 million children in CAR are without basic social services and exposed to violence following the armed attacks launched by Seleka leading to the seizure of Bangui by the coalition and the ensuing insecurity and looting.

As usual, women and children are the most affected by such conflicts. Some orphans who used to receive support from P.A.S. HOPFAN are currently away from Bangui with their relatives who had preferred to flee from the capital in the face of the chaos. Members of the NGO saw some dead bodies abandoned in the streets of Bangui. The ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) announced on March 29 that it had found 78 bodies in the streets of the capital. Earlier on March 28, the ICRC said that nearly 200 people wounded in clashes had been admitted to Bangui’s main hospitals, including around 40 who were still awaiting emergency surgery.

Although one can think that all is lost and nothing good could come out of the chaos in CAR, our view is that as long as GOD’s children continue to pray for the country, to seek GOD’s face and to act according to GOD’s Word in and for CAR, good change can happen in the country.

Therefore, we continue to pray that the Lord console the people of CAR and all those who are leaving there or have been affected by the conflict and subsequent crisis. We pray that GOD’s Holy Spirit take the control of the hearts, minds and spirits of the population of CAR and transform the mindsets of all. We pray for GOD’s Love and Unity among the people, and for GOD’s Peace and Joy in everyone’s heart.

Praise God. Since March 6, 2013 P.A.S. HOPFAN has officially become a Non Governmental Organization (NGO) in the Central African Republic (CAR). The ministerial decree marking that decision was signed on that day.

We thank our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who has made it possible. He is our King.

From 2010 to early 2013, we had gone through several ordeals that could have discouraged us from pursuing our goal to establish a Christian, non-profit NGO in the service of GOD and mankind.

Some people attempted to minimize what we were trying to achieve and to kill our vision. But since that vision is GOD’s vision, nobody can kill it. It is as great as our Father GOD, who has engraved it in our mind, heart and soul. Indelible.

As we continue to work towards achieving the will of GOD and for His Glory, we maintain our eyes on Jesus Christ who is the only One who can save us, guide us and protect us. We are confident that with Him and in Him, we will continue to progress and to accomplish great achievements in CAR and in the rest of the world.

If you want to become a member of P.A.S. HOPFAN, you need to agree with the organization’s statutes and have a membership card, after having signed the appropriate membership form.

The organization’s general assembly determines the membership fees. Members are free to pay more than the amount decided upon. On an exceptional basis, the Executive Board of P.A.S. HOPFAN reserves the right to exempt those who have submitted a written request from paying the membership fees, after having reviewed such requests. In this case, the Executive Board will have to pay for these fees to allow for the issuance of the membership card.

In addition to membership fees, members can also provide annual or occasional contributions, on a voluntary basis, aimed at funding the organization’s activities.

Membership applications are reviewed by the Executive Board. In case of refusal, it does not have to explain its decision.

If you are interested in becoming a member of the organization, please send an email to membership@blogpashopfan.org.

My name is Ella Gouga. I am a civil servant from the General Work Inspection of Bangui, Central African Republic (CAR). I am 33. Blessed be the Name of the Almighty Lord in Jesus Christ, who has delivered me.

In 2012, I was living in Mbaïki, in the prefecture of Lobaye, CAR. One day in June 2012, I felt a pain in my right ribbing. I went to see a doctor at the hospital and he told me that I had amoebiasis and gave me a prescription. I was administered 12 doses of serum.

Despite this treatment, I was still sick. The doctor told me to travel to the capital, Bangui, for stronger treatment as the disease was a serious one. Once in Bangui, I went to the hospital where my ribbing was x-rayed. The radiologist explained to me that there were stains on my right lung, which, in addition, was a half smaller than my left lung. The doctor gave me prescription worth of CFAF 128,900 (about US$255). I paid all the required medicines and took them all. Still no change in my health condition.

When I went back to the hospital, since the doctor had asked me to return for a check-up once I had finished all the medicines, the doctor x-rayed me once again. There you could see that the stains had left my right lung and had gone to the left one. I couldn’t understand what’s was going on. I was suffering from a disease that was hurting my right ribbing and now that disease had left the right side to move to the left side.

I explained that situation to one of my colleagues who asked me to go and see Pastor Léonard Gonitoua who used to organize prayers of healing every Wednesday at the church of the Spiritual Awakening Mission. So on Wednesday, February 27, I went to see the Pastor before the prayer began, and I talked to him about my health condition. The Pastor told me that this was a small issue and that God would heal me.

During the prayer of healing, the Pastor laid his hands on me while praying for me. When he laid his hands on me, I fell down and felt something that was walking in my legs and was going up to my lungs. I felt a terrible pain in my chest and then the pain left, went down my right arm and disappeared.

When I came around, I felt no more pain in my body because the Lord Jesus Christ had healed me and delivered me from that disease, which had stayed in my body for so long.

My name is Freddo Mbosso. I live in the district of Boy-Rabe, in Bangui, Central African Republic. I thank the Lord for having delivered me.

One month ago, the Lord told the church to fast for two days and pray for our country, which is going through a political crisis. As we were praying on the hill, a servant of God got a message from the Lord. That message was for me, but I didn’t pay attention.

God was saying: “One of my sons here must be careful in the coming days because one of his former girlfriends will come to him at home. But he should not have sexual intercourse with that girl, whose mother is a witch. That girl is also practicing witchcraft. She will come to bewitch you.”

So I didn’t pay attention to that message after we had finished praying.

Two days later, one of my former girlfriends came to visit me. That was on a Thursday, at around 4:00 p.m. As we hadn’t meet for a long time, I seized the occasion to have sexual intercourse with her. After she had left, I noticed that two of my condoms and the one that I had used, which contained my sperms, had disappeared. Then I also noticed that I was no longer having erections. That problem persisted for more than two weeks. So I had to go to see the man of God, Pastor Léonard Gonitoua. The Pastor told me that Jesus would heal me.

One Sunday at church, the Pastor prayed for me and I was healed.

I thank the Lord Jesus for having delivered and healed me. Only God knows everything in heaven and on earth. That message was mine and I didn’t pay attention to it.